ANNEX C

Minimum criteria to be taken into account by Member States for the designation of bodies

1. Notified bodies must fulfil the requirements of the relevant EN 45000 series.

2. A notified body must be independent and must not be controlled by manufacturers or by suppliers.

3. A notified body must be established within the territory of the Community.

4. Where type-approvals are issued by a notified body on behalf of a Member State, the Member State must ensure that the qualifications, technical experience and staffing of the notified body are such as will enable it to issue type approvals which comply with the requirements of this Directive and to guarantee a high level of safety.

5. A notified body must be in a position to provide maritime expertise. A notified body is entitled to perform conformity-assessment procedures for any economic operator established within or out with the Community. A notified body may perform conformity-assessment procedures in any Member State or State out with the Community using either its home-based means or the personnel of its branch office abroad. If a subsidiary of a notified body performs conformity-assessment procedures, all documents relating to the conformity-assessment procedures must be issued by and in the name of the notified body and not in the name of the subsidiary. A subsidiary of a notified body which is established in another Member State may, however, issue documents relating to conformity-assessment procedures if it is notified by that Member State.